It is the belief of H.G. Wells that we should devote our energies to the realization of master man. He believed that the master man would appear to see the welfare of the common man. His belief is that opportunities should be provided for all is motivated by the desire of not neglecting even a single worthy being.

Everyone who has given five minutes’ thought to the subject will agree, for example, that the will of the majority has in itself no more claim on our respect than the will of the minority. That the will of the majority must prevail is a useful working formula in politics and it is a formula which enables sharply divided societies to live in a state of civil peace instead of wasting their energies in civil war. Hence, the formula is a good one, even if the will of the majority is sometimes bad.

At the same time, the will of the majority if it becomes a will to tyrannize over the minority, would produce as odious a tyranny as any other dictatorship. The will of the majority is tolerable only so long as the majority remembers that it has duties and that the minority has rights. The voice of the people is so far from being the voice of God.

Indeed, the will of the majority has no claim over the minority, but the prevalence of the former would ensure peace and the majority rule is desirable provided it does not oppress the minority. Yet, the importance of the majority is debatable to construct the myth of majority and minority.

Not infrequently, majorities oppress minority population. At times, those who think in terms of generalities or majorities disastrously ignore the welfare of the minorities settling in various assembly constituencies and municipal councils’ areas. Still the method of majority rule is a worthy formula and it is a practical success in some countries in the west.

To cite an example, Switzerland with a limited range of current problems, the country’s constitution provides for the proportionate representation of all the parties, the office of the prime minister rotating between them. Since irreconcilable differences are bound to arise under such a system, the constitution provides for a referendum to the electorate.

Differences are thus solved. As the electorate is well-educated, well-informed and, above all, relatively small in number- 7.3 million with a per capita income of $ 40,000 which is a dream for India - the system works well. The quintessence of democracy, an active national consensus is always guaranteed.

In our Indian context, democracy for equality is not really a practical success. We are still to go a long way to achieve the true democratic way of life. India remains a strong democracy, and Manipur is a constituent unit of it. Think of those hundreds who never went to the polls.

On the other hand, think of those hundreds who went to the polls and yet never knew for what they voted. Capturing of electoral booths and rigging, coercion and intimidation, etc. regularly offended every election said to be held on democratic principles. Therefore, we can be educated for freedom- much better educated for it than we are at present.

But freedom, as we have tried to achieve, is threatened from many directions, and these threats are of many different kinds demographic, social, political and even psychological. In coping with any human situation, we must take account of all the relevant factors, not merely of a single factor. Nothing short of everything is ever really enough.

Freedom is menaced, and education for freedom is urgently needed. But so are many other things for example, social organization for freedom and legislation for freedom. From the time of Magna Carta and even earlier, the makers of English law have been concerned to protect the physical freedom of the individual.

A person who is being kept in prison on grounds of doubtful legality has the right, under the Common Law as clarified by the Statue of 1679, to appeal to one of the higher courts of justice for a writ of habeas corpus. This writ is addressed by a judge of the high court to a sheriff or jailor, and commands him, with a specific period of time, to bring the person he is holding in custody to the court for an examination of his case.

Ruthless suppression of liberty by a Government could drive even foolish enthusiasts to aspire boldly for martyrdom. But persons, who hate extremism in life and are inclined to view life as a comedy, are contemptuous of the crude methods of such Governments. By nature they are law abiding, and unlike the extremists they prefer a sufferable state of utopia.

Any democratic Government tolerates its extremists and wins over the intellectuals. In developed countries, politicians and administrators are wise enough to pursue such a policy. According to Whitman, democracy is neither political nor social: it is an attempt to postulate a new way of life with new values. The kingpin of the system is the uniqueness of each individual.

This new concept does not believe in merit and abilities of men. Yet, as their physical needs are the same they can be provided equally. Each individual is an entity by himself. One is neither higher nor lower to another. Each individual is simply conscious of the presence of another individual.

The acceptance of anotherness of every other individual is essential to democracy. Thus, the great purpose of democracy is the recognition of each individual as a separate self without any consideration of equality or inequality.

It is the task of each individual to preserve his own integrity and protect himself against the automatic and mechanistic life. This is an unending struggle and perhaps it may continue for millennia. Ultimately, in such a society everyone is left free with his own integral self.

Democracy means equality; but what does equality mean? Obviously, it does not mean that we are alike in political faculty or indeed in any faculty. Nature inexorably divides us into a mass of persons differing in aptitudes and ability.

But as their bodily needs are the same, their food and clothes and lodging can be rationed equally; and they are equally indispensable. Equality is not mathematical: it means that nobody should be discarded because of his talent, worth or unworth, integrity and such others.

However, the less gifted community or person should be given greater thought in political rights, apart from respecting it as an entity and providing it with opportunities to bring out its best. Inequality appears to be natural; but still the democratic way of life is difficult in a way, and one has to be bold to be independent and individualistic, and believe in equality and reason and right means.

Although the democratic way of life is difficult, this is the only means for humanity to have a future. Hence, only a mature community can meet the challenge of the present age, and for this great purpose, we should be prepared to withstand any hindrance to gain maturity.